Moravian Church in North America

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Is There Enough God? Can Jesus be Lord to the Gentiles? That’s like asking, “Is there enough of God to go around?” Yes. Of course. This is a major theme that weaves through Matthew’s Gospel; Jesus is the Savior of the world, not just for Jews. That was a bitter pill […]

(Worship at the 2026 Synod of the Northern Province)  The watchword for the week: Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Psalm 67:5 O Lord, let my soul rise to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun. May the love of the Lord our God be […]

August 13 Festival Rowing in the Same Direction We sometimes think of Peter’s walk on the water as a test of his faith. When he got scared, he failed the test. But Peter did not ask Jesus to test his faith. He asked Jesus to prove himself.  “Lord, if it is you . . .” […]

The watchword for the week: Jesus spoke to the disciples and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27 Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us give thanks to the One who is with us in the midst of the storms of life. We can take comfort in knowing […]

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Imagine That Day Imagine being in the crowd that day. Some would have come out of devotion to their teacher, but others would have just stumbled upon a crowd. Still others would have come out of pure curiosity, just to see what was going on. I can imagine the atmosphere that […]

(The Southern Province PEC Visiting South Florida Congregations) The watchword for the week: The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9 How wonderful are your ways, loving God. We look at the wonderful world you have created and are filled with awe. While we marvel at […]

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost The Parable of the Costly Pearl Jesus emphasizes the value of the kingdom of God in a parable about a wholesale pearl dealer on a trip looking for fine pearls for his business. “When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” […]

(Bishop Michael Johnson speaking at the 2024 Eastern District Synod) The watchword for the week:  God, turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your custom toward those who love your name. Psalm 119:132 Gracious God, we adore your saving name. We give thanks that grace is at the center of your way. […]

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost The Parable of the Weeds Every garden I plant grows weeds. Weeds, in a garden or in a lawn or among fields of farm crops, are a nuisance. Any plant growing where it’s not supposed to grow can be called a weed. Jesus told a story about wheat and weeds planted […]

(Communion being served at the 2023 Northern Province Synod) The Watchword for the week: Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Isaiah 44:6 This is the day that the Lord has made, […]

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost A Familiar Parable The parable of the sower is a familiar one within the Gospels. It is also one of a few parables in which the Lord Jesus actually comes out and gives the interpretation. The seed is the Word of God. The ground is the human heart. The first ground […]

(In the kingdom of God, there is always room for a warm embrace!) The watchword for the week: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 How wonderful it is to give praise to God. How blessed it is to thank the one who created this world and […]

(The graphic above is a picture I took inside the Bethlehem Chapel, in Prague, where John Hus preached and taught the poorest of the poor in the early part of the 14th Century. He was condemend as a heritic and burned to death on July 6, 1415, for seeking to preach in the language of […]

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost “. . . I Will Give You Rest” As an English teacher, I have to admit to my students that language often makes no logical sense. A word can have multiple meanings and pronunciations, and can even be different parts of speech! For students for whom English is a second language, […]

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Welcome The Gospel reading today concludes Jesus’ instructions to his disciples as they go out into the world to proclaim the good news that the “kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 10:7b). Jesus says to them, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent […]